Electric shoe.



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Willi llllllll nf my 7 JOHN VILSON GIBBS,

Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SHOE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,548, dated October 6, 1903.

pplication led July 16, 1 903.

I To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN WILSON Gines, residing at New York, in the county of New York and'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electricv Shoes, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an electric shoe; and its object is to provide, in connection with the sole of a shoe or other article of footwear, a means permanently attached thereto, such that an electric current will be generated under the iniiuence of the foot of the wearer.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully set forth and the novel features thereof pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l shows a view of the upper surface of the sole of a shoe in outline with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on line @c mof Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a modification in the manner of applying the electric elements; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 'y y thereof.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The sole of the shoe isshown at A, and in the upper surface thereof there are driven or otherwise inset a series of nails' or studs B, with each of which there is associated a similar nail or stud C. The studs of the series B are preferably of zinc and those of the series C preferably of copper, thereby providing pairs of elements of dissimilar metals or opposite in sign such that when contacted with by the foot of the wearer from the inlinence of the warmth or moisture of the person or for other reasons an electric current will be generated, passing from one element to the other through the body of the wearer.A The medical and therapeutic eects of such a current are well known, and I claim herein only the specific construction of the means for obtaining sucha current. Obviously the upper surface of the sole with which the foot of the wearer is to contact must be made as smooth as possible, and while this can be serai in. 1 @5.724. on man.;

done by making the heads of the studs very thin and smooth Without countersinking such heads I prefer the construction shown in Fig. 2, wherein such heads are inset or countersunk, so that the upper surfaces thereof are flush with the surface of the sole.

Contact between the body and opposing electric elements might also be provided, as

shown in Fig. 3, by placingddisks, as D, of suitable material, preferably copper, on the upper surface of the sole, countersinking them into the sole, if desired, and fastening or pinning them to the sole by means of pins E, formed of an opposing electric element, as zinc.

It will thus be apparent that this invention provides a construction whereby opposing electric elements may be easily and readily attached to the inner surface of the sole in such manner as to become a permanent part thereof, thereby avoiding displacement or shift-ing of the elements. The advantages of such construction in economy of manufacture,l simplicity, and comfort to the wearer will be readily understood.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an article of footwear, in combination with the sole, members countersunk in the upper surface of said sole, said members providing contacting electric elements of opposite sign such that an electric current will be generated therebetween when engaged bythe foot of the wearer.

2. In an article of footwear, in combination with the sole, a pair of studs driven into the 'upper surface of the sole, said studs having contacting heads or surfaces formed of opposite electric elements, as copper'and zinc, and adapted to be contacted with by the foot of the wearer.

3. In an article of footwear, in combinationl with the sole, a pair of studs or insets having the heads thereof countersunk into the' ICO With the sole, a plurality of pairs 'of studs In testimony whereof I affix my signature driven into the upper surface of said sole, the in the presence of Witnesses.

heads of each pair of said studs providing contacting.r electric elements of opposite sign such that an electric current Will be generated Witnesses: therebetween under the in Huence of the foot ROBERT E. STACK, of the wearer. l B. C. LEVY.

JOHN WILSON GIBBSJ 

